Federal and St. Landry Parish law enforcement officials announced on Wednesday the start of a comprehensive plan that will more effectively respond to active shooter situations in schools and businesses.

St. Landry Parish School Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said that he considers the district’s school campuses safe, but there can be improvement.

“We want to be very proactive and and have a plan in place for the future," he said during the meeting at City Hall. "We have resource officers in our schools and we get help from local law enforcement which in many cases are at no cost."

Comeaux said, however, that schools need to become better prepared to handle situations that endanger employees and students.

“Active shooter drills should be done as often as fire drills," Comeaux said. "If they are not done once a month, then they are not being done enough. We want to educate the schools better in what has to be done in order to be prepared for the first responders when they get there."

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said his officers have handled numerous threats against schools in recent months, including one this week.

“In recent days, we have arrested two juveniles for terrorism and bomb threats. We need to make people in this parish aware that the traditional lockdown response (at schools) is not enough anymore,” Guidroz said.

Donald Bostick, FBI field supervisor for the Lafayette and Lake Charles districts, said his agency is not an immediate responder in handling terrorism and shooters.

“It’s normally going to be to assisting in an investigative role in the aftermath of an event.. We also need training (at the FBI) in order to reassess our procedures and protocol and making our role more effective,” he said.

Bostick said the FBI has normally shared information on potential threats with local law enforcement, but he said the agency can do a better job.

“We expect to be right 100 percent of the time. We find no comfort that we have been right 99 percent of the time,” Bostick said.

Bostick said there have been a spike in hoaxes and threats on schools, but siad even if the threats aren't carried out, perpetrators are subject to federal prosecution.

“I want to warn people that as of today, if you post something on social media that is a threat, we will find you and actively prosecute you in the courts,” he said.

Opelousas Police Chief Donald Thompson said his department has acquired a bomb sniffing canine that will be available at any time to law enforcement agencies in St. Landry and the Acadiana area.